2020 NEWSLETTER
North Carolina Board of
Massage & Bodywork
Therapy
Regulating the practice of massage and bodywork therapy and its educational
institutions, for the protection of the public.
Message from the Board Chair,
Kim Turk, LMBT
2020 was a challenging year, to say the least. We can’t talk about 2020
without mentioning pandemic, quarantine, new normal, vaccines and
patience.
In March, Governor Cooper signed Executive Order No. 120 which
stated that all massage establishments and massage therapists were to
close business as of 5:00 pm on March 24. It wasn’t until May that the
Governor issued EO 141 stating that massage therapists could go back
to work, with face coverings, effective 5:00 pm on May 22.
Because of the hardship on LMBTs, the Board took the emergency
action of allowing all CE to be completed online for the renewal year
2020, later extending that to include the renewal year 2021. The
Board received approval for this emergency action through the Rules
Review Commission. Later, it was agreed to delay the start of licensing
establishments until July 2021 so that many in the profession could
recover from the financial setbacks of 2020.
Some LMBTs moved into retirement. Some closed practices for what
they thought was “a while”. Some reopened to increased expenses of
PPE and sanitation. Some schools closed. But, by and large, therapists
kept their licenses active in case they wanted to return to massage and
bodywork. Everything I'm hearing points to LMBTs working hard to
provide for the safety for all involved. I want to thank YOU for all your
work in keeping the public safe!
Many have asked about getting the vaccine for COVID-19. The CDC
lists massage therapists as “patient facing”, which allows for the ability
to get the vaccine sooner rather than later. The Board does not have the
authority to mandate that an LMBT receive the vaccine. Please see our
website at www.bmbt.org for the Practice Act and Rules that govern
what the Board can and cannot do.
I want to recognize Nancy Harrell for her many years serving the Board
and the profession. Nancy has been a steady leader, a calm presence
and a good friend to the Board. I also want to thank Dr. Tim Taft for
his time on the Board. He brought kind, thoughtful inquiry, his medical
knowledge and a wicked sense of humor. Thank you both for your
volunteer service!
We welcome Steve Green, establishment owner, and Valory Hicks,
LMBT, to the Board. We are looking forward to getting to know and
working with them both.
And as always, I want to thank the Board staff. The last few years have
been challenging and hectic. They have been diplomatic, kind, helpful
and a cheerful voice on the other end of the phone during many days
that were not so cheerful.
Please remember the mask mandate is still in effect for any persons
within six feet of each other. Be safe, be well.
NCBMBT’s Top Reminders for all LMBT’s
1 . Please keep the Board informed of any changes to your mailing address and
email address so you will be sure to receive all pcitinent information, such as
renewal reminders, newsletters, etc.
2. For all up-to-date information, as well as Board contact information and/or
questions regarding licensure, please refer to the NCBMBT website at www.bmbt.
org.
3. The Board meets every other month on the 13th floor of the Wells Fargo Capital
Center, 1 50 Fayetteville Street, Raleigh, NC 2760 1 . The current meeting schedule
is posted on the website under ‘Board Information’. All Board meetings arc open to
the public.
4. You can file a complaint online by going to the File A Complaint tab on the
Board’s website.
5. Online renewals were required beginning August 1,2019. You can access the
online renewal system on the Board’s website under the Renew Your License tab.
6. All online renewals end on December 3 1 at midnight. Any renewals submitted
past this date will need to be mailed and include a letter stating whether or not
you have been practicing massage and bodywork therapy in NC since your license
expired.
7. To keep your license current, all LMBTs must complete 24 hours of continuing
education, including a minimum of 3 hours of ethics. You may take a maximum of
1 2 hours of distance learning and a maximum of 8 hours of business management,
should you choose to do so.
8. Any LMBT who has completed all of the required CE’s during the year of their
renewal may apply any additional CE’s taken after August 1 of that year to their next
renewal period, so long as they were not submitted for the prior renewal period.
9. You can verify a LMBT’s license is valid in NC by accessing the Board’s
website, clicking on the Verify A License tab and searching by their last name or
license number.
10. Licensees are required to notify the Board within 15 days if they know a person
is practicing without a license, is violating the Practice Act/Rules and Regulations, is
charged with certain criminal offenses, or is a defendent in a civil lawsuit related to
the practice of massage and bodywork therapy.
1 1 . Licensees are required to display their Board-issued original license at the
licensee’s primary place of practice. Licensees providing massage and bodywork
therapy outside of their primary place of practice must have a Board-issued original
license or wallet card available for inspection.
1 2. Licensees shall maintain documentation for each session, including the date
of service, needs assessment, plan of care, observations made, and actions by the
licensee.
INTHISISS~
Message from the Chair . 1
NCBMBT'sTop List of Reminders . 1
New Board Members and Officers . 2
Board Requests Your Email Address . 2
Board Meeting Dates . 2
Administrative Director's Report . 2
Licensure of Establishments . 3
COV1D-1 9 . 3
Disciplinary Actions . 4, 5, & 6
Board Website is your Online Source for Information . 7
